User Reviews

Gloria Swanson netted a best actress Oscar nomination for her first talking role as the long suffering working girl destined to raise her son alone after her society conscious father-in-law unduly influences her husband to have their marriage annulled. Swanson then picks herself up by her bootstraps and manages to survive without "money" until she can't anymore. Then the inevitable showdown ensues. Despite being a sudser in retrospect, Swanson's earnest performance grabs the viewer. She imbues the character of Marion Donnell with endurance, nobility, and strength, utilizing some of her experience/style as a silent film actress. The cast clearly does not have the acting chops of Swanson, but the story's transitions and movement in the plot do not depend on any other character but Swanson's, so Swanson's part is written to carry the film. Later famous cinematographer Gregg Toland had a hand in the cinematography.

Director Edmund Goulding wrote and directed the film, which was executive produced by Swanson's long time love Joseph P. Kennedy. Swanson originally hired Goulding to help complete Queen Kelly, and Goulding turned the association with Swanson into this film after writing a script. Some viewers may criticize the film for its possibly dated, over-the-top performance by Swanson and unbelievable coincidences which abound. However, the film was released a mere couple weeks after the stock market crash of October 1929, which quickly ushered in the Great Depression, and considering that fact, the film surely tugged on the heartstrings of millions who faced an uncertain future as a result. Swanson, in her first talking film, even sings a couple songs too. Although creaky and limited in emotional scope, the film still is worthwhile viewing for Swanson's performance. *** of 4 stars.

Gloria Swanson made an outstanding talkie film debut in this woman's picture of a loving woman who chooses her own dignity and honor over true love. She is quitting her job without notice in the very first scene of this touching drama. But in 1929 America, class still goes and her fiancé's father is aghast when his weakling son marries her without his permission. He agrees to support the couple if they agree to an annulment and enter society properly. But the future Norma Desmond will have none of that and runs out. A year goes by, she is now a mother and the fiancé is married to a woman his father approves of. But the secrets come out and the nasty father makes further plans to keep them apart and get his hands on his grandchild as well.

As far as noble women go, Swanson's heroine was one of the mist noble pre-code heroine of them all. She risks everything when she discovers other circumstances and makes a decision that will benefit her son but lead her to potential breakdown.

This is another mother love drama where having a child is more important to the heroine than having a man, and though Swanson's sincerely touching performance, her actions seem believable. Nobody else in the cast matters here. This is Gloria at the top of her game, and she has a pleasant singing voice as well. So there was no silent movie star jinx for her. She just moved into different areas of the business, returning at will, and never being out of the spotlight.

Here's Gloria Swanson making her sound debut in a weepie that she puts over so convincingly, she had me crying too! Of course Swanson's is not the only voice in this movie. Chief among the support players put Purnell Pratt, an under-rated actor who never gave a hokey performance in his life, even though he was almost exclusively cast as a lawyer, a manager, an editor or some other stuffed-shirt businessman. Here, his role has some depth and Pratt responds magnificently. Also effective is William Holden, cast here in his usual mold as a tycoon or authority figure – but this is not a sympathetic role in The Trespasser. There may be some dispute about this, but I say he plays the title character. Others may feel that Wally Albright, Jr., was the trespasser. Be this as it may, however, it's actually Swanson's movie from go to whoa. She even gets to sing a song on camera, which she does extremely well – especially considering it was not prerecorded. Director Edmund Goulding also does wonders, considering this was his first sound film and he was hindered by the fact that the camera was enclosed in a sound-proof booth. Goulding's answer to this problem was to put the booth on wheels – at least for the effective opening shot!

Well, this early talkie netted La Swanson an Oscar nomination for Best Actress -- her second AA nod in her first "talkie." This melodrama was later remade with Bette Davis as That Certain Woman. which I recognized after about an hour into it. It was recently screened on TCM as a part of their showcasing of films restored by the George Eastman House in Rochester New York -- a few miles from where I'm typing this.

Here Swanson is cast in a then-popular clichéd role of a working girl trying to make good in the world who is left disappointed by a wealthy lad. Along the way she manages to bear his child, and has hopes to raise it alone. Story lines like this abounded in those Depression years, and young women and girls just loved to wallow in this stuff. Apparently after the debacle of the unfinished Queen Kelley, Swanson wanted some quick cash, and enlisted Goulding to helm it for her.

And she ended up with an audience-pleasing success, and showed in her first talking role that she was truly a talent, and not simply a fashion icon of the day. Swanson actually got incredibly real in this, showing both a feisty quality and a soft, sensitive one that's surprising. And bravely, she sings too. To the accompaniment of a player piano according to the script. And her voice is fine, even if the recording equipment was primitive and distorted. of course, she looks fantastic, and wears some spectacular costumes throughout. Star quality abounds in this woman certainly.

And kudos should go to the fantastic photography, which sometimes became cloaked in shadows and darkness. I was pleasantly surprised at how appealing the movie looked. At times it almost reminded me of Dracula (1932).

And yes, there's a down side provided by many of the supporting players who mug and overact in ways popular in silent movies. But on the bright side, an honorable mention goes to the sweet and adorable little child who played Swanson's son. Whoever coached this little boy did a great job, because the kid was extremely natural and also poignant when the story required it.

I'm sure The Trespasser had the shop girls of 1929 crying buckets of tears.

**** out of *****

Generally, when we watch movies we place our own morals and ethics upon the characters and decide if we like them or not based upon that. It's not a bad thing at all. We use those same metrics throughout our life for who we befriend, who we take on as business partners, who we have a drink with, etc.

In "The Trespasser" Marion Donnell (Gloria Swanson) impressed me then disgusted me in two decisions.

The movie began with her very giddy about eloping with Jack Merrick (Robert Ames), the son of a wealthy man named John Merrick Sr. (William Holden, not the William Holden from "Sunset Blvd."--another Gloria Swanson movie). While she and Jack were on their honeymoon they were intruded upon by an impertinent Mr. Merrick. How could his society son run off and marry a lowly typist? The scandal would ruin the Merrick name.

As Merrick Sr was verbally undressing Junior and berating his wife within her earshot, Junior barely registered a defense of his new wife. Marion demanded that Jack defend her and break free of his tyrannical father. After a few weak assertions from the son, the father convinced him to annul his marriage so that Marion could be properly vetted and married the proper way. Well, Marion had heard enough. To her credit, she stormed out of their bed-and-breakfast swearing never to speak to Jack again.

At that moment I had all the respect in the world for Marion. Her dignity was worth more than money. She didn't marry Jack for his millions and she couldn't care less about them; all she wanted was the man she loved and she wanted him to defend her.

The movie then jumped forward 18 months and Marion had a baby. It was Jack's son though she never told him. She was back working again to take care of herself and her baby boy named Jackie (Wally Albright). She was in a bad way. She was up to her eyeballs in debt and stressed to the gills about it. She was given a way out of her situation when her married older boss, Hector Ferguson (Purnell Pratt), made her his mistress. She and her son lived comfortably after that.

It was then that I lost all the respect I had for her. Look, I know that people will do almost anything to feed their children, and she did attempt to reconnect with the child's father, but I think she could've tried harder. At her lowest point she allowed Hector to be her savior. But he didn't just help her out temporarily, she became his side chick for a couple of years! When she was childless her dignity was not for sale, but when she had a baby to feed her dignity had a price tag.

Marion had another pivotal decision to make when Hector Ferguson died. On his deathbed he begged for Marion to come to his side and she did so, right in front of his wife. That was a case of poor judgment getting poorer. You were already entertaining the fancies of a married man because of what he could do for you, no doubt, then you further humiliated his wife by showing up to his bedside in his final hours. The papers had a field day with that spectacle.

When Hector left $500,000 to Marion she had had enough. She was not going to allow herself to be dragged through the mud. And when there was speculation that her son may be Hector's, that was the impetus she needed to reach out to Jackie's father and let him know he had a son.

It seemed that Marion had fixed her moral compass. It took her seeing the defeated face of Hector's wife and the predatory behavior of the press for her to see the error of her ways. But she was faced with yet another moral decision.

After she got in touch with Jack Merrick again she was torn about whether or not to inform him that he had a child. Her nanny convinced her that if the Merricks knew about the boy they'd take him from her. Papa Merrick would take her to court and surely win custody. So, after inviting Jack over to meet his son, she did an about-face and again kept the news secret. That is until Jack saw the little boy, then the secret was a secret no more.

Jack said he'd take care of Marion and the boy. It'd be just the three of them like it was supposed to be all along. But wait a minute... Jack was married to Catherine (Kay Hammond), so how was that going to work? Again, something Marion hadn't even considered. All she thought about was whether or not Jack would break away from his father. So, again she was thrust into a situation where she would play homewrecker. This time she left the child in his father's capable hands and went away. And again I questioned her decision making skills.

Was it too much to remain in Chicago near the baby's father so that the two of you could raise the child together? Whether Jackie remained with Marion or Jack, if the two stayed in close proximity (which Jack could've arranged), that would've been the best possible solution for all involved parties. It seemed to me that at this point in the movie Marion decided that running away was her best option. I don't want to say that she had a litany of no-win decisions, but she wasn't blameless either for the predicaments she found herself in.

Marion chased love, then security, then absolution, then redemption, and finally anonymity. What she should've found is that no decision is easy, but that when you make your bed you lie in it.

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